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About this project

THE TRANSCEND

Our project is the first production run of the Transcend. The Transcend is a slim lined case allowing easy access to everything you need, and includes many extras such as RFID protection where you want it. It is designed for front pocket use while comfortably accommodating back pocket use and easily fitting in any bag.

*We strongly believe in giving back and just learned about this cool movement. http://kickingitforward.org We commit to this concept.*Custom engraving now available! Check out update #2 for more details! Thanks!

Custom engraving under front ID cover - see update #2 for more information

TRANSCEND HIGHLIGHTS

Although the prototype proved the functions of the Transcend, the prototype is made out of a metallic coated ABS plastic with a rougher finish. The final Transcend will be made from Stainless Steel for enhanced strength, longevity, fit, and appearance. PLEASE NOTE: THE FINAL TRANSCEND WILL BE MUCH SMOOTHER THAN THE PROTOTYPE (SEE PICTURE BELOW).

Exploded view of Professional (upper left) and Personal (lower right)

Just received image of final finish!

Machined from Stainless Steel in a brushed or in an as machined finish.

Slide the double sided compartment one way for easy access to bills and the other way to access credit/debit cards.

The single sided compartment can be used for business cards, mints, gum, membership cards, extra credit or debit cards, or other small items like keys.

The front case stores your ID visibly behind a plastic cover while allowing quick retrieval and you can also take out the plastic cover to insert another credit/debit card.

The Professional Transcend quickly and easily transforms to the slim Personal or Slender Transcend for weekend, night out, or vacation use.

MADE IN THE USA.

TRANSCEND SPECS

Professional Transcend holds 10 business cards or 5 credit cards in the single sided compartment, 2 credit/debit cards and some cash in the double sided compartment, 1 ID and some cash in the ID holder.

Personal Transcend holds 2 credit/debit cards and some cash in the double sided compartment 1 ID and some cash in the ID holder.

HOW THE TRANSCEND BECAME

When we set out, our main objective was to create a durable and thin case to outperform and outlast its predecessors; the money clip and wallet. But that wasn’t enough; we wanted something we could personally use that would make a statement about both form and function. Unlike money clips or plate style slim wallets, the Transcend stores valuables securely enclosed in a clean, discreet, and organized manner. We wanted to go beyond the protection of leather and fabric wallets with a case that could prevent credit card skimming while allowing IDs with RFID capabilities to function. After talking with family and friends, we discovered that the quick transition between models made the Transcend an excellent and versatile companion for purses too! Why take everything everywhere when you can simply slide off all of the extra cards seldom used? With the extra back plate that comes with the Professional Transcend the slid off compartment remains closed to store the extras.

The final design for the Professional Transcend is almost half the thickness of a typical wallet!

WHO WE ARE

We are Derek (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) and Julia (B.S. Psychology). Together, we own and operate MTS, a fledgling product development company that has helped others to launch and develop products. We are now looking for your help to launch one of our own projects. Family and other team members will aid with packing, manufacturing, assembly, and shipping.

We are proud that the Transcend will be made in the USA by family and friends. We do not simply design and then ship production overseas concerned only about profit. We also strive to use processes that are environmentally sound while designing products that last. In our minds, planned obsolescence is planned failure, not just for products but also for the world.

TIMELINE

We will send a survey out through Kickstarter once the funding period ends. We will confirm which level(s) you pledged for, finish, if you were referred by someone and if so their e-mail for verification, and collect your shipping and contact information.

Funds & Orders – Equipment and materials will be ordered and we will receive the funds in December.

Equipment – The equipment will be setup for production in December. We have been quoted a lead time of only two weeks from order date to setup.

Manufacturing – We will test the final design before manufacturing and shipping which will take place December through February.

Rewards – We estimate delivery to all backers by the end of February or sooner.

HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED

The money raised through Kickstarter will fund the first production run of the Transcend. The Transcend featured in our video was a prototype; we are looking to bring the final Transcend to reality. Quotes are in hand. The money will be used to acquire and produce tooling, materials, and packaging for shipping the first production run. An estimated 8% will go to Kickstarter and Amazon to launch our project.

We have used a large amount of our time and available funds to design, prototype, and test the Transcend. Remember it starts here on Kickstarter with your initial contributions to bring the Transcend to the world.

REWARDS

Slender Transcend - $35

Personal Transcend - $50, first 50 backers; $65 after

Professional Transcend - $85

In addition, as a way to say thank you to those spreading the word: Pledge at any Transcend level, get three (3) others to pledge at any Transcend level, and we will send you the reward for the level above your original pledge. For example: Dan pledges for the Personal Transcend and gets Bob, Sue, and Roger to pledge for the Slender Transcend. Bob, Sue, and Roger indicate Dan’s referral when we send out the survey, being careful to use the email Dan provides. Dan opens his reward shipment to find the Professional Transcend.

Kickstarter projects are all or nothing. Backers pledge to pay for their selected reward only if we meet the funding goal of $30,000.

Thank you for looking at our project and for your pledges! If you can’t pledge for yourself but know someone who would, we greatly appreciate you spreading the word!

Risks and challenges

Helping others with product development has aided us greatly in being able to plan for potential challenges, from our experience the most likely risks to be encountered for the Transcend project are:

The project far exceeding our expectations. To counter this, additional space has been allocated for equipment and other team members are standing by to increase production capabilities. We also have established relationships with other local manufacturers should the need arise. Pledges far exceeding our expectations would be an enjoyable challenge to overcome.

That the tested prototype is constructed from metallic coated ABS rather than metal. Through our experience with helping others we have found this to be a minimal obstacle to overcome. Although the prototype is plastic our experience lies in the production of manufacturing plans for metal products, we also have an advisor regarding designs for CNC machining. In the past when we have had a successful plastic prototype the final metal design typically far exceeds the prototype in functionality. For testing the functionality of RFID skimming protection we used metal slips for the credit card compartment which will be replaced by the metal structure of the final design. The ABS case has proven the functionality to such a degree that we are even more excited to move into the metal Transcend.

Potential equipment failures or material shipment delays. We have scheduled milestones to account for unseen equipment or material order issues and have chosen suppliers and team members known for their service. Even with unseen challenges we should beat our deadlines and hopefully have all of the Transcend shipped in January. We are also keeping our schedules clear to allow complete focus on the project.

The main risk for you, the backer, will be the final finish of the Transcend you receive. To mitigate this we will send you a picture of the two finishes as produced from the specific equipment and setup that will be used once received. These finishes will be similar to that of other brushed and as machined stainless steel products currently on the market. From this you will have the choice of which finish you would like for your reward(s). We are extremely confident that if you find the finish of the prototype acceptable you will be excited to receive the brushed or as machined metal Transcend.

We strongly believe in communicating about the project to our backers as it progresses. Even after the funding period ends we will make it a point to inform our backers on the project’s progress. To us, creating satisfied backers with rewards in hand will define our project’s success.

FAQ

Yes! The Professional Transcend comes with an additional back plate. This back plate allows the user to take off the back compartment and just have the Personal Transcend. Taking off the ID cover allows the user to have the Slender Transcend. The idea with The Transcend is versatility!

We understand that not everyone wants their ID on the outside, and some would rather have a plain cover for this reason. We also understand that you might want to be able to have an additional ID on the backside. For this reason, when we send the survey out, we will ask what covers you would like for your Transcend. The Personal Transcend comes with two total covers; the Professional Transcend comes with three.

Example: For the Personal pledge level, you could have two ID covers, one ID cover and one backplate, or two backplates.

No, the Transcend will not accidentally open. It currently has a friction fit at the very end of the sliding slots. This is basically little tabs that connect together to keep the case closed. It is tight enough to keep it closed but not so tight that you can't easily slide it open. It is working great for the prototype!